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| Five-Fingers Frog | The Harbingers aren't known for being organised. Perhaps, among the five Divisions of the Bureau, they are the ones most intuitive, go-with-the-flow types - which is often at odds with meticulous planning and record-keeping that is desired (though not expected, no, that notion was dispelled long before even the First Age ended) of the Chosen of the Stars. Their offices on the Golden Barque, consequently - and due to the nature of their work, - are often small and more-or-less empty. Some of Mercury's own have never even set foot in theirs.
That is why the rare bureaucrat, one that actually *enjoys* what his peers would call drudgery, managed to snag himself one of the few particularly opulent ones. Located at the Barque's stern, next to the captain's cabin, it is larger than most, boasts three separate compartments of which the actual workplace takes only one, and is generally something that is actually *used*. Cabinets are filled with carefully labeled papers, books and more esoteric ways to store information. A large window is surrounded by well-looked-after plants - one can notice a small wood elemental in the shape resembling the owner's namesake taking care of them, - and looks out onto the continent-city (a large shadow passes by it from time to time - a recently deified sky titan is one of the larger creatures around, now, and she prefers her native form). The desk is covered with papers along with a copy of the now-notorious booklet and a cup of Northern blizzard-tea, which Frog is currently thoroughly enjoying. |
| Nine Roads Alani | The way to look like you belong is to walk with a purpose and nod to people like they should know you. Alani's got that plan half right, at least--she's got an intent look on her face, perhaps with a bit of wry humor, as she stalks the Barque's aft corridors, deftly avoiding piles of papers and precariously teetering inkwells. She's looking at every doorway as she walks by, but doesn't slow down for any of them until she reaches Frog's office.
A quick, staccato rap on the door heralds Alani's arrival as she peeks in the doorway. She looks ready to offer a greeting, but is stopped short as her blonde eyebrows raise in surprise. She just looks around the office for a moment and lets out a low whistle. "Well. I'd ask how you managed to snag such a swanky office, but honestly, I don't want to know. I mean, I -have- an office? But I don't remember the color of the carpet." Alani stands in the doorway, leaning against the doorjamb and looking curiously at Frog. "At least I have a little bit of luck. You're in. You got a few minutes to talk?" |
| Five-Fingers Frog | "The other guy wasn't using it, which isn't surprising." Frog gently sets the cup down. "Come in, please! I've always got time for a fellow Harbinger, especially one I have positive previous work experience in."
He produces another cup - both are made of the finest black jade and bear dragon imagery; nothing too special for Yu Shan, to be frank, - offers it to Alani (and fills the cup if the offer is accepted) and gestures at the booklet. "It's about my project, isn't it?" |
| Nine Roads Alani | Alani offers a nod and smile, but the smile doesn't quite reach her eyes. She does take a seat and accepts a cup. While Frog is pouring, however, she nods in response to his question.
"You're right, of course, it's about the booklet. I admit I didn't walk all this way just for the tea." She takes a sip to accentuate her point, then pauses for a moment and looks at the teacup. "Though, obviously I should have." Alani takes abother sip, then holds the cup in both hands and looks right into Frog's eyes. "Anyway. You know I'm no friend of the Abyssals. I want the same thing you do. I'm just hoping that this was the right move in the long run. "I don't know how far your message is making it nowadays, but you'll be pleased to find out I ran across one on the very street I live on in Great Forks. That's what made me realize that this was going further than I expected, and I'd bet a bite of a Peach that the Forbidding Manse must be tearing their hair out right now. This is all speculation, mind you, but I'm worried the Abyssals will turtle up and be impossible to dig out of their holes. I'm worried that they now have a good idea of what information we got from Potentate. And I'm worried that Secrets and Endings are both going to come down on you hard. I haven't talked to any of them, mind you, but surely their plans have had to change." Alani laughs a bit, sipping her tea again. "Don't get me wrong. It was a bold move and if the Bureau is guilty of one thing over and over again, it's not acting with enough urgency. I'm just saying there's going to be consequences, and I was wondering what you had in mind to head them off." |
| Five-Fingers Frog | "Not the first time one of us is being a headache for an Oracle. Wonder what some of my predecessors did, because my Essence seems to chime with approval." Frog smiles, and his is a warm one - he's thoroughly amused by the waves he's been making. "In any case. If the Abyssals turtle down in that Underworld of theirs, that's not a bad thing as far as I am concerned. They stop growing their pressure on Creation and let the footholds they do have there decay - all while we can prepare for whatever they and their masters plan next. Recruit Solars, that sort of thing. And it is not like we can't take the fight to their world." The Harbinger glances towards the window, where Mercury's Tear can be seen flying past the Barque. She seems to be playing tag (hunting?) with a smattering of mostly bird-shaped gods.
"This isn't the only plan I've got, though it is the only one I could feasibly put into motion right now. Once I help Divya with hers - did I mention she's the one who sourced most of the information? I'm glad even Secrets aren't all stuffy old hoarders, - I think we can work on another one. I won't spoil anything yet, but I think that one will have the other Divisions much more worried than this little thing I'm doing now." Frog grins. "As for heading them off... even if I can't convince them what I'm doing is the right thing - and it is! people should know the enemy, Jupiter be damned! - I'll manage. Assassinations aren't *in*, ostracisation I can deal with, and if they don't cooperate... Well, Divya's my more-or-less immutable contact in Secrets and I'll give any Endings a run for their money. They can't sack me, either, not until Mercury herself chastises me - and I have a feeling she won't." He looks straight at Alani's amber eyes, siblings of his own. "Do your multitudes of worries include me, then? Or is it something else?" |
| Nine Roads Alani | Alani is amused by some of the things Frog says, but again, her smile doesn't quite reach her eyes. She's clearly a bit worried still, particularly when Divya is mentioned. She sets down her teacup and looks Frog in the eye again.
"You know that Divya's girlfriend -is- one of these Abyssals, right? I'm not saying she's compromised, but I -am- saying that her enemies can easily accuse her of it. I would not count on her being able to shield you for long, and I definitely wouldn't hitch my wagon to her star. She's been unquestionably useful, but I think both of us need to be very careful that, if something does happen to her, that we don't get accused of anything alongside her." Alani turns more thoughtful as she sips, looking out the window at the gods playing outside. It brings a touch of a more genuine smile to her face. While still looking out the window, she adds, "Mercury...you might be right about that. I don't pretend to know her mind for sure, but I think she would be fine with a more aggressive stance against the Abyssals. I know I am, and I know some like-minded Sidereals who'd agree with both of us. Believe me, I'm not against your goals. I just want to make sure we're doing this the smart way." |
| Five-Fingers Frog | Frog seems to silently debate something with himself for a few moments. Then he sighs. "I'll stand by Divya, whatever happens to her. Maybe she'll be the one needing my help at some point soon." He pauses again before continuing. "Her partner is the whole reason I'm in this mess in the first place. She *terrifies* me."
"These things I've written? They work because they're true, because they come from a place of my sincere feelings. Remember the recent Trinshan debacle? We've seen what a freshly-born and unhinged Solar can do. Now what about someone of equal power - but older, guided by a stronger power behind her, belonging to a Caste known for insidious manipulation?" He shudders. "Sometimes I call her an existential threat. And existential threats need immediate and overwhelming response." He finishes his cup, frowns - it's gone cold. Refills and sits silent for a while. "I honestly believe we're doing this the smart way. That's the best I can say. I'd quote the Expectant Maiden, but koans are a cage." |
| Nine Roads Alani | Now that last line earns a genuine chuckle from Alani.
"Heh. Don't let my sifu hear you say that. But I'm glad you mentioned that, because it brings another very important question to mind." She settles down, her expression turning serious. "Divya's girlfriend. I actually don't know much about her. Almost nothing beyond what she told Potentate, to be honest, which of course was sanitized. If you know more about her, I'd love to hear the details. What is she...Zenith? Eclipse? Or the Abyssal equivalents, I suppose. And it sounds like she's considerably stronger, too. I wonder if she was there when we captured Potentate." "As for doing it the smart way, I hope you're right. Here's the thing, though. This is how to do it if we're here to minimize casualties. Make sure everyone knows and can protect themselves. You know that's not how the Bureau is going to see it, though. I'm not saying they think ordinary folks are valueless, but..." She sighs and finishes her tea. "No, that's a lie. That's exactly what I'm saying. Or at least, if the Bureau has a chance to sacrifice a town full of people to draw out and kill Abyssals, or better yet uncover their plans? You know that's what they would do. And they would argue that that is the smarter way. "I'd rather find a way that does both. To do less feels like taking the easy road." |
| Five-Fingers Frog | Frog starts listing off facts he knows. "The only name I know of hers is the Envoy - we can assume it's not the real nor the only fake one. She's a Moonshadow - that's the Eclipse equivalent. Has been around for a while, how long I do not know. I'm planning to dig for more information - through Divya or through Ashes of a Fire Unkindled, another deathknight who seems to be privy to some of hers through the working relationship they had in Iron Simhata. ...We crossed gazes when I was making the Greater Sign of Mercury to retrieve Potentate. And that's as close as I'm getting to her before I'm *absolutely certain* she won't work her magic on me - or I have several layers of fallback plans in case she does. This limits my research, but I'm working on it."
He smiles, relaxed a bit, finally. "Have you actually read the thing? The whole idea of it is to put information - which is, frankly, the best thing they'll have against Abyssals - in the hands of the general public so they can... Not defend themselves, that's folly, but be on the lookout and cautious so they can notice the threat, retreat and cut their losses when necessary. It's useful information, Alani, not just doom-mongering. So do not worry - I'm with you, here. We can uncover the deathknights' plans without involving the common folk who'd likely just get in the way." |
| Nine Roads Alani | Alani leans back in her chair, crossing her legs and nodding. "Mmm. Yeah, I did read it. And kept a copy. I knew a lot of it beforehand--I was there for the interrogation--but it's good to have extra details and to have it all written down. Whatever else you may be, Frog, you're a hell of a writer."
She frowns. thinking. "The Envoy. I'd heard the name before, and suspicions she was Abyssal, but this is the first confirmation I've heard. Ashes, I have also heard of. You know I'm our liaison with Fudou, right? You saw the benefits of that during the extraction, of course, but I've been in touch with him since. He was at Trinshan, while it was burning. And he mentioned Ashes and that mad Solar queen. Talked like this Ashes was being reasonable, though I'm not sure how far to take that. Make no mistake: Fudou is not the idiot he likes to come across as. But I don't know if he's a good judge of people." |
| Five-Fingers Frog | The Harbinger beams at the compliment. "Thank you!"
"When I first arrived to Iron Simhata, me and Divya spied on a conversation between the Envoy and Ashes - he seemed reasonable there, as well. Quote - "Sincerity matters.", which I can get behind. I'm planning to visit him soon and find out for myself, actually - I'll keep you updated on what kind of a person he really is. Fudou might not be a great judge of character, but I am." Frog grins. "How's the big lug, anyway? He helped us get rid of Trinshan's stragglers when we got asked to do it a couple weeks ago." He glances at his deified familiar once again - Mercury's Tear has actually taken human form, now, and is conversing with the same spirits she was chasing earlier, gesturing wildly. "Don't think he clocked me and Divya as your colleagues, though." |
| Nine Roads Alani | Alani thinks for a moment before replying. "He was upset about Trinshan. Not just down in the dumps, but -really- upset. That mad queen was attacking civilians, it sounds like, and from hawkriders. It was all over when I'd arrived, but I was trying to find him, not head off the attack. Not sure I even knew it was coming beforehand, if I'm honest.
"I haven't heard much from him since then, but I do need to go back and find out more about what's going on out there. I feel like we need someone watching all the time, at the rate things seem to happen in the Hundred Kingdoms. I'm sure we have someone, but...well, you know how it is, prying intelligence from the Forbidden Manse. As for colleagues, if he didn't know before the battle in Iron Simhata, he surely did afterwards. And I think the big guy will be all right. There's plenty out there for him to punch." She nods in response to Ashes. "Well, sincerity is not honesty, as any Sidereal can tell you." Her voice is as wry as possible. "But still, if he has some semblance of honor, that at least might mean we can predict some of their actions a little better. I'm curious as to whether it extends to him talking about those of his peers who -don't- have honor." |
| Five-Fingers Frog | Frog nods. "We keep running into the same people, which is wondrous, given how big Creation is and how many Chosen there are. Of course, I've always been told that's how the Exaltations work, drawing us together, but it's one thing to be taught that and another to experience it." Another reminder that, all in all, this particular Chosen of Mercury is a relative newcomer to the Bureau, having only been Exalted less than half a decade ago. "Makes me wonder if Deryl - that "Exigent of Diamonds" Divya employs, - is going to be relevant more often than not. I met him while I was wrapping up business in Trinshan. Or some others like Perfect Shard."
He cocks his eyebrow. "Sincerity is- Ah, nevermind, I'm not sure I want to have this conversation right now. Ashes' sense of honour is actually what I wanted to ask him about - it is likely at odds with his master's designs, whoever that is. I was wondering how they reconcile it." |
| Nine Roads Alani | "Hah!" Alani laughs out loud, slapping her knee. "See, believing in coincidence is the first thing my Sifu drilled out of me. Or, well, maybe one of the ten thousand first things I had to change, I guess." She rolls her eyes a bit. "Not that I don't see the reasons for it now, of course, but I was always the kid that has to know why, when my teachers all only ever wanted to tell me what. You seem sharp enough that you probably had something similar happen."
Her expression turns a bit more curious over Deryl, the Exigent of Diamonds. "Hrm. I vaguely remember hearing the name, but that was about it. I wonder what an Exigent of Diamonds actually -does-. Especially when he works for this Envoy, interesting. Do you know anything more about him? "As for Ashes, I'm intensely curious about that too. How tight a hold do their masters have? Could they be turned? Is this guy the exception, or the rule? And, actually, what do all three of them look like? I saw a lot of them at the battle but I didn't have my scorecard with me." She chuckles. "I'll make sure to remember it next time." |
| Five-Fingers Frog | Frog chuckles along. "Learning the what is such an Endings thing. I think that's why I ended up in Mercury's pocket after all, despite my other proficiencies - the why is indeed far more interesting."
"As for Deryl, he also mentioned swords as his purview, which I suppose is more clear-cut? Hah, cut. Get it? Because diamonds and swords-" He's in a good mood, now. The man loves a little bit of bad humour. A wide smile is on Frog's face as he mock-frowns. "Nevermind. Either way, I'm not entirely sure, actually - *Divya*'s reports on what they did together in Odyr are frustratingly vague in some key places. You know how Secrets are. Seems to be a sorcerer, at least - had a blood ape bodyguard." "Tell you what, I'll send you a copy of the report as soon as I write it after parlaying with the mercenary. Don't worry, mine aren't like an Oracle's, they'll actually be useful - and you liked my writing, after all." He frowns, in earnest, now. "Maybe that Ashes will give a lead to that Oblivion-suffused martial art. I still... desire more of it." |
| Nine Roads Alani | Alani leans back in her chair, thoughtful once more, and then leans forward and smiles. "Tell you what. I'd love to read that report. In the meantime I intend to track down Fudou again and...oh! Almost forgot to mention. You might be interested in this."
She grins fondly. "I had a knock down drag out sparring session with what turned out to be a Solar. His name was far too on the nose--Ignis--but he was good with a daiklave, at least. He couldn't penetrate my defenses but I spent a fair mote of Essence making it happen. Someone I met a couple years ago at Misa's dojo. She's long gone now, but I have a report or two filed on her from back then. "Anyway, sorry, I misheard, clearly. Divya's man, Deryl the Exigent of Diamonds. And if you hear anything about the person who used that martial art...yeah. I think we both need to look into that. I don't really intend to learn it, but I want to know about it. |
| Five-Fingers Frog | "Alright then, I'll make sure to share the report. And I'll look into this Ignis on your suggestion, thanks."
They spend some more time chatting and drinking tea before Alani departs - her fears now, hopefully, somewhat placated. |